Completing the fulfillment of a campaign promise from his first run for office nearly a decade ago, President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an Executive Order to declassify the trove of long-held records and other documents pertaining to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr.
“Today, we are providing Americans the truth after six decades of secrecy,” the order states.
The chief executive required that within 15 days, the Director of National Intelligence and other relevant officials, must present a comprehensive plan for the “full release of all records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.”
Within 45 days, the order said, “the Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney General shall, in coordination with the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and the Counsel to the President, review records related to the assassinations of Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and present a plan to the President for the full and complete release of these records.”
After more that a half-century since the tragic events, the order notes, “Their families and the American people deserve transparency and truth. It is in the national interest to finally release all records related to these assassinations without delay.”
The move reverses previous delays withholding information under the justification of safeguarding national security interests as outlined by the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992.
Previously, Trump pushed for greater transparency regarding the JFK assassination, ordering agencies to review and disclose more information but stopped short of a complete declassification of all the materials. The Biden administration subsequently postponed further disclosures, citing potential harms to national security.
During his 2024 campaign, President Trump repeatedly vowed to unseal the balance of the documents, famously stating, “When I return to the White House, I will declassify and unseal all JFK assassination related documents. It’s been 60 years, time for the American people to know the TRUTH!”
The administration has not yet specified which agencies will be primarily responsible for the release process or how they will handle potentially sensitive information, but the order itself sets a clear directive for immediate action.
“Continued withholding of the John F. Kennedy records is not in the public interest and is long overdue,” Trump said.
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Christina Botteri is the Executive Editor of The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow her on X at @christinakb.
